The present invention relates generally to collision countermeasure systems, and more particularly to a method and apparatus for performing a countermeasure within an automotive vehicle as to prevent a collision and minimize the likelihood of occupant injury.
Collision countermeasure systems are becoming more widely used. Collision countermeasure systems detect objects or vehicles within close proximity of a host vehicle and perform safety operations so as to prevent or minimize the likelihood of a collision and any resulting injury to an occupant. Countermeasure systems exist in various passive and active forms. Passively, a countermeasure system may activate inflatable seat belts, seat belt pretensioners, airbags, or other passive countermeasures. Actively, a countermeasure system may perform actions including suspension height modifications, autonomously decreasing the traveling velocity of the vehicle by braking or reducing engine torque, accelerating the vehicle, steering the vehicle, or performing other active countermeasures known in the art. Actions such as suspension height modifications have the potential to reduce injuries to vehicle occupants and potential collision partners.
Countermeasure systems typically include an object detection system electrically coupled, using a wire-based system such as a CAN (Controller Area Network), to a countermeasure controller. The object detection system may include various sensors such as ultrasonic sensors, cameras, transponders, radar sensors, or other sensors known in the art. An object is detected by the object detection system, which generates an object detection signal that is evaluated by the collision countermeasure controller. The countermeasure controller, in response to the object detection signal, determines appropriate countermeasures to perform.
The total time required to implement a countermeasure includes the time required to sense an object, communicate object information to the controller, evaluate the object information by the controller, signal a countermeasure, and perform the countermeasure. Therefore, the delay between object detection and countermeasure performance varies depending upon the object detection system, the communication system, the countermeasure controller, and the countermeasure being performed. All of these communications take place across wire-based communication paths, which can be relatively slow. The longer the time involved in performing a countermeasure the lower the probability of avoiding a collision or preventing an injury.
Traditional collision countermeasure systems that utilize a wire-based system such as a High Speed Controller Area Network (HS-CAN) also have other time limitations when certain vehicle conditions exist. HS-CAN type systems are serial in nature wherein messages are transmitted and received serially, sometimes referred to as a queue. Thus, they are acted upon one at a time. A vehicle condition may exist when a large number of signals are being communicated at the same time, thereby filling the queue. When several messages are in the queue the time delay in performing a countermeasure can be increased.
An ongoing concern for safety engineers is to provide a safer automotive vehicle with increased collision avoidance and minimize injury prevention response time capability. Therefore, it would be desirable to provide an improved collision countermeasure system for an automotive vehicle that decreases the time required to perform a collision countermeasure and maintains at least the same system reliability of current countermeasure systems.
The present invention provides an improved method and apparatus for performing a collision countermeasure within an automotive vehicle. In an embodiment, a collision countermeasure system for an automotive vehicle is provided. The collision countermeasure system includes an object detection system having at least one transceiver. The object detection system generates and wirelessly transmits an object detection signal via a first transceiver. A countermeasure controller wirelessly receives said object detection signal via a second transceiver and performs a countermeasure in response to said object detection signal. A method for performing the same is also provided.
One of several advantages of the present invention is that it provides a collision countermeasure system that wirelessly transmits and receives signals between countermeasure devices at an increased rate over traditional wire-based countermeasure systems. The present system decreases the amount of time required to perform a countermeasure and potentially decreases the probability of a collision or occupant injury.
Additionally, the present invention provides increased reliability by optionally having the ability to transmit and receive signals between countermeasure devices wirelessly or by wire.
Furthermore, the present invention provides increased versatility in determining where to locate a countermeasure device within a vehicle. Thereby, providing vehicle design engineers with increased vehicle systems layout flexibility.
Another advantage of the present invention is that by optionally eliminating the need for wire harnesses between countermeasure devices in the collision mitigation system the production costs of a vehicle may be decreased.
The present invention itself, together with attendant advantages, will be best understood by reference to the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying figures.